Texas Medical School Will No Longer Consider Race In Admissions Decisions As Part Of Deal With Education Department
The pressure from the Education Department on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock is part of a broader push to roll back affirmative action policies. The school said in a letter to the department in February that it "is committed to exploring race-neutral alternatives to enhancing diversity and fully and completely evaluating its current admissions policies and practices."
The New York Times:
Texas Tech Medical School, Under Pressure From Education Dept., Will Stop Using Race In Admissions
A prominent Texas medical school will stop considering race or ethnicity in deciding whether to admit applicants, as part of an agreement with the Education Department’s civil rights office. The president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center signed the agreement in February, 14 years after the department began investigating a complaint filed by an anti-affirmative action group. The agreement is the first of its kind for the Education Department under Secretary Betsy DeVos, and comes as the Trump administration continues its hard turn against the use of race in admissions. (Hartocollis, 4/9)
Reuters:
Texas Medical School Agrees To Stop Using Race In Admissions
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a series of cases that universities may use affirmative action to increase minority enrollment on their campuses. Conservatives have argued such programs can hurt whites and Asian-Americans and argue that other factors including socioeconomic status should be considered in efforts to achieve diversity. A federal judge is weighing a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants. Legal experts believe the case could end up in U.S. Supreme Court and have wide implications regarding affirmative action. (4/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Requires Texas Tech Med School To End Use Of Race In Admissions Decisions
The Texas Tech agreement marks the first time the Trump administration has asked a school to curtail its affirmative-action practices, and signals the administration’s desire to limit the extent to which universities can factor race into admissions. In the agreement, the administration suggested the medical school consider race-neutral factors to achieve its diversity goals, such as recruiting students from low-income areas and favoring bilingual or first-generation college students. (Hackman, 4/9)
Politico:
Texas Tech Medical School Will End Use Of Race In Admissions
The Trump administration is separately investigating whether Harvard and Yale are discriminating against Asian-American applicants in their use of race in admissions. The Justice Department has also backed a lawsuit targeting Harvard's use of race in admissions. And in July, the administration scrapped Obama-era guidance calling on school superintendents and colleges to consider race when trying to diversify their campuses. (Wermund, 4/9)
